TMC leader Shibu Prasad Hazra, another prime accused named in the Sandeshkhali violence case, was arrested from a hideout in the Najat area of Basirhat on Saturday. Hazra was produced before a local court on Sunday and was later sent to police custody for eight days, police said.
Hazra had been on the run since the women in Sandeshkhali levelled allegations of sexual harassment against him, while he was already a prime accused in the alleged land grab case.
“Shibu Hazra has been arrested from the Najat area of Basirhat in West Bengal. A total of 18 people have been arrested including Shibu Hazra,” SP Basirhat said. The state police chief noted that addition of sections of rape were made to the FIR filed against Hazra earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Section 144 (prohibition of assembly of five or more people, unauthorised processions, or demonstrations) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been withdrawn from four areas of Sandeshkhali, including, Daudpur, Gopaler Ghat, Atapur, and Pulepara. Restrictions will continue in the rest of the 15 areas till noon on February 21.
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- On the instructions of the National general secretary, a three-member delegation of the All India Trinamool Congress — Partha Bhowmick, Sujit Bose and Birbaha Hansda — headed to Sandeshkhali on Sunday.
- Key accused in the Sandeshkhali violence, TMC leader Shibu Prasad Hazra, was arrested from a hideout in Basirhat’s Najat area on Saturday. A police official noted that he will be produced before a local court on Sunday.
- In view of the sexual harassment allegations against Hazra, by the women of Sandeshkhali, the state police chief said that sections of rape were also added to the FIR filed against him.
- Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, while speaking at the BJP National Convention 2024 in the national capital on Saturday, condemned the Sandheskhali violence and said, “I consider such incidents to be a stain on the civilised society. This should be strongly condemned…”
- Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar noted that they will be reviewing the situation area-wise before deciding on removing prohibitory orders. “…There are some areas where Section 144 is not required… in a day or two, we will remove the prohibitory orders so that normalcy returns,” he said.
- Following the violence in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Paraganas, the West Bengal government on Saturday removed senior officer Sumit Kumar from the post of DIG (Barasat range) and made him DIG (Security). However, officials in the state government said that this was just a “routine shuffle”.
- West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said the doors of Raj Bhavan will always be open for the “tortured” women of Sandeshkhali who feel unsafe in their own homes. He said that women can contact the ‘Peace Room’ at Raj Bhavan by dialing 033-22001641 to lodge complaints.
- Governor CV Bose, following his recent visit to Sandeshkhali, describe the situation there as “ghastly, shocking, and shattering”.
- Meanwhile, a six-member team of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) on Saturday visited the politically troubled area to look into the complaints of child abuse there. Villagers had alleged that miscreants grabbed a seven-month-old baby from the mother’s lap and threw it away.
- Advisor to the state child rights panel Sudeshna Roya told reporters that the team will assess the situation at “ground zero” level. “Our duty is to give protection to every child in the state and also see their rights are protected,” Roy added.
- Chairperson Tulika Das, on the other hand, who leads the six-member WBCPCR team said, “We took suo motu cognisance to meet the family. We met the mother of the child…they wanted food, medical support and security. We have provided them all that.”
(With PTI inputs)
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